24: Nobody Said It Was Easy
by NormalTeenageGirl
Summary: Not all love stories are like fairytales, and not all of them have happy endings. This is the story of Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler - the beginning, the end, and all of the smiles, tears and kisses in between. The title is based on Coldplay's song The Scientist, quoting the words, "Nobody said it was easy," because of all of the trials this couple had to face.
1. Introduction

24

**Nobody Said It Was Easy**

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By _NormalTeenageGirl_

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Not all love stories are like fairytales, and not all of them have happy endings. This is the story of Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler - the beginning, the end, and all of the smiles, tears and kisses in between. The title is based on Coldplay's song _The Scientist_, quoting the words, "Nobody said it was easy," because of all of the trials this couple had to face.

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_This fanfiction contains a mix of OC's and '24' characters. Everything that belongs to the creators of '24' belongs to the creators of '24'. Everything else belongs to me._

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**Author's Note**

I hope you enjoy this story! Feel free to message or review with feedback - your comments make the story better! _There are spoilers in this story_, so beware.


	2. Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE: _Tony_

_Of all the jobs I could have taken..._

I let my head drop into my hands, determined to take a rest, no matter how briefly, but just as I did so the phone rang. I sighed, and pressed the speaker button. "Almeida."

"Tony." It was George Mason, the newly elected Special Agent in Charge. "I need you in my office. Division's sent a replacement for Nina and I need you to lead her through the protocols."

I glanced up at the glass-enclosed office on the second floor. Mason was watching me, the phone in his hand. "Be up in a sec," I said, then ended the call and began my silent motivation to summon the energy to get out of my chair.

The phone rang again. Another press of a button. "Almeida."

"Now, Tony."

* * *

I had barely opened the door before Mason began introductions. "Tony, this is Michelle Dessler. Michelle, this is Tony Almeida, my Chief of Staff. As you've heard, we had a crisis earlier today and we have a lot that needs to be done. If you have any questions, just ask Tony."

"Of course, sir." Michelle's dark eyes switched from Mason to me. "Are you ready, Mr. Almeida?"

A little off-put by the pace at which they were going, I threw a glance at Mason before giving a short nod. "Yeah. Follow me."

I was the only one who spoke as I showed her where all of the files were, and which ones were most important. Then Michelle asked a question.

It wasn't one that I'd been expecting.

"How's Jack Bauer doing?"

I gave Michelle a hard look, wondering why she would ask. Her serious expression hadn't changed, but her eyes were softer. Concerned. _She asks because she cares_, I thought, somewhat surprised. _Even though she doesn't know him_. "He's having a rough time," I said honestly.

Michelle glanced down at her hands, poised over the keys. Then she looked up at me. "What about you?"

"What about me?" I immediately became wary.

"I heard..." Michelle hesitated, like she knew she was getting to me, but then steeled herself and plowed. "It's been a really hard day, and some things... With Nina and all..."

"That's my business." My tone was sharp.

Michelle continued to give me a steady look, though the tension in her jaw told me that she didn't want to say what she was about to say. "You're my boss. If you aren't functioning fully, that makes it my business."

I straightened up from leaning over her shoulder and crossed my arms. "You want to know how I'm doing?" I said angrily, but in a quiet enough voice so that only she could hear me. "I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours, instead spending the time trying to keep a presidential candidate from being assassinated. Kim was kidnapped and nearly killed at least three times, and when we finally thought we had Teri safe here at CTU, my girlfriend murdered her. So how do you think I'm doing?"

Michelle gazed back at the monitor. She didn't say she was sorry. She didn't say anything, actually; not for a few moments. "Thank you," she said finally, looking back at me.

"For what?" For the second time in as many minutes, I was thrown off by her.

"For being honest." Michelle turned back to her work. "You should go, Mr. Almeida. You need to rest."

"Mason told - " I said, mostly just arguing because I didn't know what else to do.

"I know what he told you, but I know what I'm doing, and if I need help finding something, I can always ask someone else."

I sighed, trying to think. But honestly, it wasn't working. "Okay," I finally replied. "But if anyone asks, it was my idea, got it? I can't have you getting fired before you've even started your job."

"Of course, Mr. Almeida."

I could feel her eyes trained on me until I walked out the door.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Sorry that it's so short, but I hope it was good enough to satisfy! I'd love to hear from you, so feel free to review or send me a message. Constructive criticism welcome. (:


	3. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO: _Michelle_

I didn't realize how tired I was until Mason tapped me on my shoulder. "Oh," I exclaimed, startled out of my spacey mood.

"How're you doing, Michelle?" he asked, nodding at the screen.

"I'm almost done. Give me a few more minutes and I'll bring it up to you," I said.

"Good." Mason paused before leaving. "When you're done, you can go. You've had a long day."

"Thank you, sir," I replied. Glancing at the clock, I was shocked to see it read 9:23pm. I'd been in the office for almost twenty hours.

I told myself sternly to get back to work, but just then I was distracted by the entrance of Tony Almeida as he strode into the office. The difference between him and the man I had met before was remarkable. No longer did he look exhausted, overwhelmed and irritable; he was all business now.

"George," he said. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not much. Would you mind taking over for a little while? I need to get a few hours solid rest," said Mason. I knew what he meant; he'd been here all throughout the Palmer crisis, and then today. I'd seen him taking little naps, between the government officials' calls, but he needed sleep.

"Of course." Tony nodded, then glanced towards me. I quickly went back to work, but kept listening. "How's Michelle doing?"

"She's kept on top of the work so far, but she's fading fast," I heard Mason say. "I told her that, once she puts her current assignment up on my desk, she can go home."

"'Kay."

I took a deep breath and shut everything else out now, concentrating on the report. After a few more minutes of typing, I printed the file and went to go put it in Mason's office.

Tony was sitting there, absorbed in a letter complaining about security. When I knocked lightly on the door, he looked up.

"Oh, hey Michelle," he said, returning to the letter. "You can put it right here."

I placed the file on the indicated spot. "Is that all for today, Mr. Almeida?" I asked politely.

Tony looked up. "Yeah. Thanks, Michelle."

"Of course."

His voice stopped me just before I left. "Michelle?"

"Yes?" I turned back to him.

"Call me Tony."

I gave him a half-smile of consent and left.

* * *

I almost forgot to undress before falling into bed. It was only when the clasp of my bra poked me in the back that I remembered, and even then I almost didn't care.

But I forced myself up, stumbling determinedly into the bathroom and shutting the door firmly behind me.

As I undressed and re-dressed, I evaluated my day. Honestly, it hadn't been terrible; busy, yes, but compared to some...

My thoughts switched to Tony. When I'd first come in and questioned him, he'd been mad - and rightly so. But I also believed that I had been right to draw attention to the fact that he might not be fit, at that moment, to lead; there aren't many men who could go through a day like that and still be relatively sane with no sleep.

_At least he didn't seem mad at me tonight,_ I thought, climbing back into bed. _And he seems nice enough... Maybe this job will work out better than the last one._

And, giving a huge sigh, I rolled to my side and fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Again, sorry about the short chapters, but I think most of them will probably be like this - it's because I'm writing in two different points of view and I don't want to cover too much with one person. So, is this a yes? No? Give me feedback. Love ya, readers. (:

Thank you, mamfox91 and michelle-fan, for reviewing. Made my day.


	4. Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE: _Michelle_

The alarm woke me at 6:30.

"Time for work," I mumbled, not really wanting to get up. I liked long sleeps, and I wasn't too happy about getting up after such a long day yesterday.

My phone rang.

With a sigh, I rolled over and grabbed my cell from the nightstand. "Dessler."

"Hey, you're up." My brother's voice was full of drunken laughter. "How about coming over right now, baby? Huh? I know you waaaaaannttt me."

I sat up straight in bed, shocked. "Danny!" I hissed. "It's Michelle you idiot, not Carrie."

"Michelle," he echoed in a sing-song voice.

I sighed. "Go to sleep, Danny." I pressed the End button.

_Well that wasn't humiliating at all_, I thought savagely as I stripped and hopped into the shower. _Why can't he just stop drinking? None of this mess would have happened if he hadn't started..._

I was so wrapped up in my brother's problems that I totally lost track of time. Thirteen minutes into the shower, I realized I'd shampooed my hair twice, put conditioner on my skin and was currently trying to put body wash in my hair. Groaning, I hurried to fix my mistakes and was none too pleased to find that, once I got out of the shower, I had two minutes to get dressed, brush my teeth and hair, grab something to eat and be on my way to work.

While I worked as fast as I could, I arrived late. It was 7:08.

"Hey, Michelle, what's wrong?" Tony strode up to me just as got to me desk. My heart sunk.

"Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?" I said, avoiding his face as I turned on my computer.

Tony ducked his head so he could meet my eyes. "Look, I haven't known you long, but you're reports at Division say you were never late. And I'm willing to bet that you never came to work with your shirt inside out."

I glanced down. He was right; my shirt was inside out.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm fine, Tony, really," I said finally. "Just some problems popped up and I got distracted this morning."

"Will you be okay to work?"

I met his gaze steadily now; there was no way I was going to be sent home. "I'll be fine," I repeated. "I'll be right back."

I swept passed him to the ladies room. Looking in the mirror there, I was dismayed to find that, inside out, the shirt showed a lot more than I would've liked. _I'm just having a great day_, I thought sarcastically, quickly fixing my blouse. _Wonder what will happen next._

For the next few hours, I worked my way determinedly through report after report. By the time the half-an-hour lunch break arrived, I was so in my own little world that I didn't even notice until someone tapped me on the shoulder. "H-hi," said a short, nervous-looking woman. "I was wondering if you knew where Tony Almeida is. He's hired me and I think I'm supposed to - "

"I think he's in George Mason's office," I interrupted. "Up there." I pointed. From my desk, I could just see the top of Tony's head as he bent over something. "My name's Michelle Dessler if you need anything else."

"Thanks." The woman gave me a smile.

I shook my head once she'd left, and turned back to my work. But I'd lost my concentration. _Dang..._ I rolled my eyes.

_Beep. Beep._

I picked up the phone. "Dessler."

"Hey, Michelle, it's Tony. Can you come up here for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure." I knew it had to be about the new employee. But why would he be asking for _me?_

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**Author's Note**

There goes Chapter Three! Seems to be going so fast... Anyway. I'm not exactly sure when Paula came into the office (that's who the woman is) so I'm just kind of making things up as I go along. Hope you're liking it! By the way, just in case you haven't got it already - this is a couple days after the terrorist attack that took place during the first season. Happy reading! (:


	5. Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR: _Tony_

Michelle's jaw was tight when she entered my office. "You asked to see me."

"Yeah." I nodded towards Paula. "This is Paula Schaeffer. She's our new systems analyst. I was hoping you could help her - if you don't mind cutting your lunch break short."

Michelle's eyes darted towards a clock on the wall, and a flicker of surprise appeared in them before once again becoming serious. "Of course," she said, turning towards the door. "You can follow me, Paula."

"One moment, Michelle," I said. "I'd like to speak to you - privately."

Michelle immediately faced me expectantly, but it took a moment for Paula to catch on. "Oh, wait, um... I'll just wait outside - here - yeah," the woman said, then awkwardly shuffled backwards out of my office.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "Will you be okay to do this?" I questioned.

"I'll be fine, Tony." That steely look that she had earlier returned to her eyes. "I've already told you that."

"I know. Just - do your job." _Why the hell am I so uncomfortable around her?_ I wondered, irritated by my inability to voice my thoughts correctly.

"And you do yours, Tony," Michelle replied, stubborn and not nearly as ruffled as I was. "I'll let you know how she's doing."

I nodded. "Thanks, Michelle."

She didn't even look back.

I stared back at the computer, wondering what I'd been doing before Paula came. It was lunch break, but I wasn't incredibly hungry, so I spent twenty minutes finishing up on my report analysis before deciding to go down to the staff room and grab some coffee.

"Shoot."

The word made me jump as I entered the staff room, having not been paying attention.

It was Michelle.

"Shoot. Shoot. Shoot," she moaned, looking undecided as she hovered between the sink and the smoking toaster.

I came to her rescue, swiftly picking up a spare dish towel and retrieving the now burnt toast. "Did you burn yourself?"

Looking relieved, she nodded and stuck her hand under the faucet so that she could run water over her fingers. "Thanks for grabbing that."

"No problem."

The corners of Michelle's lips tugged up, and then, suddenly, she broke into a full smile and looked down at her now-wet hand.

It was the first real smile I'd seen from her, and it made me smile too. I looked away, hoping that she wouldn't think I was making fun of her.

"So now you know my secret," stated Michelle after a few awkward moments.

"Secret?" I bit my cheek, trying not to smile as I looked back at her.

"I can't cook for my life." Michelle looked ruefully at the black bread lying between us, and, then, meeting her dark eyes once more, I couldn't help it.

I laughed.

Just a little bit.

But Michelle just smiled and looked at her hand again before shutting the water off. "Look," she said. "I'm sorry about yesterday. Or two days ago... whenever it was."

"No, you were right." Serious again, I threw the toast in the trash bin. "About it being your business."

"Still. It was personal."

"Just like your problems this morning." I held her gaze steadily. "Look, I'll try not to get into any of your business anymore unless it's urgent, providing one thing."

Michelle tilted her head up. "And what is that?"

"That you'll tell me if you are in trouble, or you have a problem that you need help with. We're a family here, okay?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "Okay." Then, casting a final glance back at the toaster, she made to leave.

I reached for her arm to stop her. "Michelle."

She gave me a questioning look.

"Why don't I make you some toast?" I suggested. "You haven't eaten yet, and besides, you need to brief me on Paula."

That quirk of a smile played on her lips again. "Sounds better than burnt toast," she agreed.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Haha, sort of a first date. Not really though. Anyway, how'd you like it? I had fun writing it, mostly because I can relate to Michelle's disastrous cooking skills. I mean, who else can't make PB&J or instant pudding? Me and Michelle = sisters. Hahaha. Yes, it's late and I'm over-tired. Shuddup. (: Love ya, amazing readers!


	6. Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE: _Michelle_

I was standing in my kitchen, staring at another piece of burning toast, when my cell rang. Sighing, I flipped it open. "Dessler."

"Hey, Michelle, it's Tony."

"Oh. Hi." It wasn't one of my more intelligent replies, but it wasn't like I rehearsed what I was going to say to him if he ever called me. "Do you need something."

"Actually, yeah." Tony paused for a second. "Would you mind picking me up this morning? I'm having issues with my car and the bus won't get to CTU on time."

"Yeah, sure," I replied, rubbing my eyes tiredly. "I'll be right there. What's your address?"

He gave it to me, and, unable to find a pad of paper, I scribbled it down on my hand before hanging up.

The piece of smoking bread stared up at me resentfully, reminding me of the incident in the staff room seven months ago.

"What're you looking at?" I grumbled, before tossing it in the trash bin on my way out the door.

* * *

Tony was leaning against a wall, waiting for me. "Want me to drive?" he offered, immediately noticing my towel-wrapped hand on the steering wheel.

"I'm fine, but thanks," I said. "We need to make a stop, though; I haven't had breakfast yet."

Tony didn't reply, and I glanced over, wondering why. He was struggling to keep a straight face. "And yes, it was toast again," I added, slightly irritated. But when he gave a little snort, I couldn't remain annoyed; I smiled and stared straight ahead.

We arrived at CTU at 7:00 on the dot, even with my stop to pick up a coffee and muffin. Tony thanked me for the ride, then left me to my own devices at my desk.

It was exactly 10:36 when things went wrong.

The phone rang.

"Dessler."

"Ms. Dessler, this is Dr. Lauren Terfield. Do you have a brother named Danial Dessler?"

Fear seized me. "Yes. Why? What happened?"

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Ms. Dessler, but your brother tried to commit suicide a little while ago."

I closed my eyes, trying to fight the tears. "Is he okay?" I asked finally.

"He will be."

"Where is he?"

"At General's."

"I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Of course. I understand, Ms. Dessler. Goodbye." The woman's cool voice turned into static as she hung up.

I set the phone down and uncovered my mouth. I hadn't even realized I was gasping for breath. _Calm down_, I told myself. _It's alright. He's going to be okay. Remember?_

Still in shock, I hurried up to Tony's office. "Is there a chance I could take an hour or two off," I said as soon as I'd opened the door.

Tony looked confused. "Why?"

"My brother... He's in the hospital." I closed my eyes again. "Please, Tony. I just need to see him."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Thank you." Taking a deep breath, I exited and made my way through the tangle of desks to find Paula. "I'll be gone for an hour or two. If anyone needs to contact me, call my cell."

"Okay, got it. But - "

I didn't stay to listen.

* * *

Danny was asleep when I got there. "How is he?" I whispered to the doctor.

Dr. Terfield looked sympathetic. "He'll be out for a while, but we think he'll make a full recovery."

"Why would he do this?" I wondered aloud. "He's made some bad choices, but this..."

"I don't know. We were hoping you could tell us."

I just shook my head and sat down in the chair next to his bed, staring at the opposite wall blankly.

Fifteen minutes later, my phone rang.

"Dessler."

"It's Tony. How is your brother doing?"

I glanced over at the sleeping body. "He'll be okay they think. He's asleep now. Do you need something?"

The was a pause on Tony's end. Then he said reluctantly. "Yeah, actually. We just got some new intelligence that needs your attention."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few." I stifled my sigh, glancing again at Danny.

"Hey, Michelle?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

My throat closed up. "I know. Thanks, Tony."

I left a note for my brother before I left.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Well, not my favorite chapter, but... Yeah. Feedback, please! I don't know if I'm doing this right. Hoping you're enjoying the last of summer (if you're in the States. If not... Still hoping you're enjoying yourself. Hahaha). (:


	7. Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX: _Tony_

I felt terrible pulling Michelle away from her brother, but there was a reason she was at CTU: she was the best at her job. And we needed her.

"What is it?" she asked me as I met her by the door.

"We've received some sensitive intell that we need you to go over." I scanned her face. I wanted to ask her if she was okay, but there was a warning look in her eyes, so I refrained.

"Okay. Thanks, Tony." Michelle turned to leave.

I put my hand on her arm, stopping her. "Hey, let me know if you need to go home. I'd understand."

Michelle didn't look at my, but she gave a little nod before leaving.

I stood watching her until Paula called me to her desk. "Tony!"

For the rest of the day, the look in Michelle's dark eyes haunted me; the sadness, fear and indecision.

Inexplicably, it hurt me to know she was in pain.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, I caught myself staring at Michelle while she worked. Wondering if she was always so serious. Wondering what her life was like.

I began to notice little things about her. How she bit her lip when she thought. How she brushed stray curls away impatiently.

"Tony."

One of our analysts, Luke, startled me out of my thoughts. "Hm?"

Luke gave me a funny look. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I glanced back over at Michelle before giving the employee my full attention. "What do you need?"

"Just wanted you to check up on this report." He handed me a folder. "Mason thought he found some mistakes and wanted you to fully check it."

"Okay. Thanks, Luke."

"No problem." Luke glanced over at Michelle. Apparently I hadn't been very subtle about it. "What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing," I said, trying to sound even and indifferent.

"Mm hm. Sure." Luke's mouth twitched. "Hey, I'm no matchmaker, but you guys aren't exactly inconspicious with your staring."

"Go back to work, Luke," I said with a sigh, swinging my chair back around.

"Okay," Luke said. He gave a snicker as he walked away.

Rolling my eyes, I opened the folder he had given me. But just before I'd started to read it, Luke's words hit me.

_You guys_.

Plural.

Oh.

* * *

"Tony, I need your help."

I sat up groggily in bed, trying not to drop the cell. I'd only been asleep for about an hour - it was currently 11:23, and had been startled awake by a call from Michelle. "What is it?"

"I was doing a report for Mason and was putting in extra hours. I just got home." Michelle took a shaky breath. "Tony, someone broke into my apartment."

"What?!" The news jarred me awake. "Don't go in there. Did you call the police?"

"Yeah. They're on their way."

"Where are you now?"

"I'm sitting in my car across the street."

There was a pause. "I'll be over in a bit," I said finally.

"You don't need to if you don't want to," Michelle said immediately. But she sounded slightly hesitant.

"Of course I'm coming. Is there anything you need right now?" I was already up, pulling on jeans over my boxers and then tugging a t-shirt over my head, switching the cell from hand to hand so my arms could go through.

"No."

There was another pause.

"Tony?"

"Yeah. I'm here." I grabbed the keys and headed out the door.

"Don't go. Just - keep talking."

"Okay." I held the phone in place between my head and my shoulder as I got in the drivers seat of my car and started it. "What do you want to talk about?"

There was a few seconds pause, in which time I pulled out of the driveway and out onto the road.

"You like the Cubs?"

I was surprised by the question. _She must have noticed the mug_, I thought, wondering if she payed that close attention to everyone, or just me. "Yeah. I grew up in Chicago..."

We continued to talk until I pulled onto her road. "Hold on," I said, then pressed End.

I swerved onto the curb, parked the car just behind hers and then got out.

Michelle was standing outside of her car. "I got claustrophobic," she admitted when I frowned. "I h-had t-t-to g-get out..."

She looked like she was about to break down, and, silently I opened my arms.

Without hesitation, Michelle let me embrace her, and I could feel her shaking body. "Shh. It's okay. You're okay," I murmured.

After a few moments, Michelle backed away, looking disconcerted as she wiped away a stray tear. "I'm sorry. I just - "

"Don't." I shook my head, then looked up as I heard sirens. "The police are here."

"Thank God." She sank back against her car and closed her eyes.

It was one and a half hours later that I finally drove away, leaving Michelle to pour herself some of the tea that I made for her (she insisted that she could do it, but in her state, I wasn't taking any chances; she could've poisoned herself accidently and not even realized it).

It was late.

It had been a very, very long day.

I was falling for a woman when I'd promised myself I'd never love again; not after Nina.

But I'll tell you now:

It took the possibility of our imminent deaths for me to ask her out.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry that it's been a few days. Things have been really busy. And school starts tomorrow, so things will start slowing down. I'm sorry. :( But I promise I'll try and update as often as possible. Does anyone else have a favorite time-number? Mine was in this chapter - 11:23. Don't know why... Haha. Thanks for reading amazing people!


	8. Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN: _Michelle_

Jack Bauer.

The name rang through my head as I hung up the phone and called out to the tall, graying man a little ways away. "Mr. Mason?"

Mason turned, his expression fighting boredom. "What?"

I walked up to him; obviously, he wasn't very interested in what I had to say. "I just got off the phone with someone from Eric Rayburn's office at NSA."

"Yeah?" Mason said impatiently.

"They have a request, sir, and they want it taken care of right away," I said, handing him a piece of paper.

Mason frowned, his eyes scanning it quickly. "This can't be right." And then, folding the paper, "Eileen, get me Rayburn. I think he's up in Oregon with the president. Put it in my office."

"What was that all about?" Tony turned to me as Mason left.

I took a deep breath. "NSA wants us to bring in Jack Bauer."

"_What?_" Shock and confusion were evident in Tony's exclamation. "What for?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. That's all he said. Isn't Bauer inactive?"

"Yeah..." Tony looked away, deep in thought.

I hesitated before asking. "Did you know him well?"

Tony gave me a short nod. "We worked together for a few years."

"You were there the day Nina Myers killed his wife, weren't you?" I knew the answer, but I suspected that this new development was bringing back old, bad memories.

"Yeah."

"Is it true Nina and Jack were having an affair?"

"He and Teri were separated at the time. Look, Michelle - why don't you check the traffic on our regional router?" There was no missing the irritation and defensiveness in his voice.

"Sure."

I cast a glance back at him as I walked away.

His dark eyes met mine, just for a moment.

* * *

"Have you looked at your system in the last five minutes?" I asked Tony, crossing over to where he was standing.

He glanced up at me. "No. What's up?"

"Langley issued an Information Flow Advisory. Something's going on... and whatever it is is going to be inter-agency."

Tony exhaled, leaning back in his seat. "Alright... Call Lindauer and Grothy, and tell them they don't have the day off after all. And start filtering everything that comes in."

I nodded, but Tony accidentally blocked me. For a moment, I hovered there, but then I gave a small smile and moved around him to my workspace.

My heart was doing a weird little dance. _Really? Acting like a middle schooler here,_ I scolded myself internally. _It's not like you've never liked someone before..._

Liked someone.

_Oh, God, help me get over this. And fast_, I prayed silently.

Just then, Paula shuffled up, distracting me from my mental freak-out. I was just in the middle of arguing with her when Mason thundered down the stairs.

"Department heads. Over here. Right now," he barked. "Everyone else, back up what you're doing and start new situation profiles. We have an active priority."

Surprised, I glanced over at Tony. He looked at me, looking just as bemused. I followed him and the other heads to where Mason was standing.

"I just got off a conference call with NSA and Division. There's a nuclear bomb under terrorist control right here in Los Angeles and it's set to go off sometime today," continued Mason, looking grim. "So from this point on we don't speak to anyone outside our secure envelope. We don't talk to friends. Our job is to find this device and stop it. We don't want to create panic."

All I could think of was, _Oh. My. God_.

* * *

It was only a few minutes after Jack Bauer had arrived that he tried to leave again.

Tony stopped him. "Jack, wait up."

"I don't have time for this!" growled Jack.

"Jack, listen, the reason you were called in is because it's a background match. You're the only one who can run this," Tony tried.

"I don't care!" said Jack. "Look, I trusted everyone at CTU to protect my wife and now I lost her."

"I know, Jack. I was there."

The look on Tony's face made my heart ache. _It wasn't his fault!_ I wanted to scream at Jack. _It wasn't his fault!_

Jack was't swayed. "I can't lose my daughter too, Tony. I'm sorry."

Tony made no move to stop him as he left.

"Tony," I called quietly.

He walked over to me. "What is it Michelle?" he asked tiredly.

"He's not going to help us?" I nodded towards the entrance where Jack Bauer had just left from.

"Give it a few minutes," said Tony, beginning to walk away. "He could never walk away knowing that all those people would get killed; he'll be back."

Sure enough, I was distracted from my conference with Mason and Tony a couple minutes later as Jack Bauer walked through the doors again.

* * *

**Author's Note**

I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update. School and sports have kept me busy. But how did you like this one? Obviously, this is the first episode of season two. It's not exact, and I've added/removed bits and pieces, but I hope it works for you!

Note: I do not own most of the content above - it goes to the creators of the _24: Season Two: Episode One_.


	9. Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT: _Tony_

"Here's the deal, I want Knoll or Grothy to pick up my daughter and take her a safe distance away," said Jack, stalking into the office where Michelle, Mason and I were talking.

"Done." Mason didn't hesitate.

"I also want an update on her status at all times by Tony. I'm sorry George I just don't trust you," continued Jack, looking Mason straight in the eye.

Mason looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. "Well you'll have to start. What we're up against today none of us can walk away from. Tony and I will both take care of Kim."

Jack hesitated, but didn't argue. "Tell me about the regional calls," he said, getting down to business.

"The most promising one is headed by Joseph Wald," said Michelle.

"Wald?" Jack sounded a little shocked and confused.

"Yeah, Wald's been linked to a terrorist group named Second Wave. You did time with him didn't you?" said Mason.

"I put him in jail George. What's Wald's connection to the bomb?"

"NSA established meetings between him and the terrorist group."

"Are there any key witnesses in his upcoming trial?"

Paula entered just in time to hear Jack's question. "There's one. Martial Goren. Apparently without him there's no trail."

"Good bring him in." Jack turned to walk out of the office.

"Here?" Mason looked wary.

Jack rolled his eyes. "You want me to reestablish my cover with Wald right? Normally it takes six months, you want me to do this in what under two hours. Bring him in."

* * *

"Paula, do we have an update from Division yet?" I asked the woman.

"Uh, yeah... Tony, shouldn't we be working outside of Los Angeles," said Paula nervously.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. "Try to tune it out, Paula. You never know how good intel is."

But it was almost a half an hour later when I saw Mason trying to leave.

"George, where are you going?" I said.

"Bakersfield." Mason didn't meet my eyes.

"Bakersfield? Peters is assigned to Bakersfield," I said, my suspicion growing.

"Yeah, I put him on something else."

"Why?" I crossed my arms.

"I don't have to tell you that," said Mason defensively, trying to step around me.

"Well, I guess I disagree," I responded, stepping back in front of him. "If you're just trying to get out of the blast radius."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" said Mason angrily. "Do you have access to my information?"

"No, George, I don't," I said evenly.

"Then keep your mouth shut and do your job."

And with that, Mason once again stepped around me and left.

"Are you okay?" Michelle was walking by and saw me hovering at the base of the stairs. "Where's George going?"

I shook my head. "Doesn't matter."

Her lips tightened slightly, but she didn't argue. "I just thought you should know that Jack's undercover with Wald again."

"And how did he manage that?" There was something in her voice that made me think that Jack had done something that she disapproved of.

Michelle glanced at the papers in her arms. "He used Martial Goren's head," she said finally.

I sighed. "That man will be the death of me," I muttered, passing Michelle to go to my desk.

I had no idea.

* * *

**Author's Note**

So how'd you like it? Sorry it took so long to post, but... I think it's okay. It's the secondish episode, with some added/removed bits and pieces. Feedback welcome!

Note: I do not own most of the content above - it goes to the creators of the _24: Season Two: Episode Two_.


	10. Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE: _Tony_

About twenty minutes later, things got weird.

It started with the bad phone lines - but that wasn't so out of the norm compared to the second call from Eric Rayburn. "Mr Rayburn, this is Tony Almeida," I said once Michelle had handed me the phone.

"I understand you're the ranking officer on site?" Rayburn cut to the chase.

"Yes, sir, I am."

"Then I need you to execute an order for me."

"Of course." _What the hell is going on?_ I refrained from voicing my irritation at how much time he was taking.

"I want you to copy and transfer your database onto our server. Anything related to the nuclear threat."

_What? Why?_

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes, sir, I did," I said. "May I ask why?"

"It's procautionary, given the extraordinary threat we're facing today. But I'd like it done sooner rather than later," added Rayburn.

"How soon?"

"By 11:00."

I spent a few moments arguing with him about the impossibility of it before he hung up. Clenching my jaw in anger, I told Paula to transfer the information to NSA, and then turned to go to my desk.

Michelle stopped me.

"Tony, what's going on?" she asked seriously. "I mean, first the phone lines go down and then NSA puts in a rush order to transfer all our data on the nuke."

"He said it was just precautionary." But doubt made me think about the situation. _Does Rayburn know something?_ I wondered.

"Then he would have issued the same order to every agency," said Michelle.

"Take a look at that, will you?" I said, nodding.

"Sure."

She held my eyes longer than was necessary, and it was all I could do not to reach out and touch her cheek.

It hurt, being so close yet so, so far away.

* * *

"Tony!"

I looked up to find Michelle next to me with a blueprint in her hand. "Hm?"

"That guy over there is asking for you. He claims he was taken hostage by these men that want to blow up CTU. He said that there are bombs here, and here, and here," she added, pointing to various spots on the sheet. "I'll have a squad check."

I felt like I'd been hit. "Order an evacuation now!"

"But we don't know if this - "

"This is why NSA wanted us to transfer over our database." It all made sense now. Adrenaline began pumping through my body. "They knew we were being targeted. Evacuate _now._"

A grim look settled over Michelle's face as she shouted, "EVERYONE LISTEN UP - "

The phone rang and I grabbed for it. "Almeida."

"This is Lynne Kresge. I'm special Assistant to the president. I'm calling to tell you about a possible threat to CTU," said a harried-sounding woman.

"We just found out about it." My eyes swept the room. People were running, files in hand, towards the exits. That's when I connected Rayburn's call to the grand scheme of things. "NSA knew about this a half hour ago, didn't they?"

Alarms began to sound.

"Just get your people out of there!" Lynn hung up abruptly.

Trying to keep my mind clear of the anger that threatened to overwhelm me, I dropped the receiver, only to notice that Paula was still in Mason's office. "Really?" I muttered.

Paula didn't even look up as I barged through the door. "PAULA, GET OUT OF HERE," I yelled.

"I'm almost done with this encryption."

"_Leave it. There's a bomb in the building!_"

"We can't lose this data!" she argued.

"WOULD YOU LEAVE IT!" I pulled her away from the computer and ran down the stairs. My heart was thudding; things seemed to be moving faster than usual, yet were strangely clear in my field of vision.

Michelle appeared at the bottom. "_Let's go._"

I met her eyes, wide with worry. She'd stayed behind, loyal to her coworkers.

The world exploded.

* * *

**Author's Note**

I'm so SO sorry, my lovely readers. You didn't deserve the ridiculously long break between the last chapter and this one.

I am going to be trying to make them a little more personal now (thank you, Stephanie, for your feedback about that) so that it is more interesting. Hope you enjoyed it!


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